The Best Strategies for Creating the Perfect Music Blog

Music: it’s what you love. There’s something about that perfect rhythm, whether it’s the drums or the bass; there’s something about a melody that’s can get you hooked from the very beginning. On any given Saturday night, you can be found at a rock gig, classical piano concert, or dance club listening to your favorite DJ spin. If you’re a musician yourself, you may even be checking out a friend’s gig or performing at your own.

Love of music is something that definitely pays off. It enriches your life, and playing a tune for an unsuspecting audience is one of the best party tricks out there. Best of all, you can get paid for gigs and lessons, which are tried and true ways to make money with music. But another great way to earn some extra income from your musical talent and get your voice out in the industry is to start a blog.

1 Pick a great platform

Especially if you’re completely new to blogging, you’re going to want to be smart about which blogging platform you choose to launch your site. When it comes to writing about music, you can’t just choose a simple blogging platform, since it’s entirely likely you’ll be posting not only stellar content, but also music videos and playable audio content, and maybe even interacting with readers using polls and special musical chat rooms. You’re going to want to pick a site that will serve all your needs, in addition to looking professional.

Luckily, there are several great options out there. Because there are more than 440 million blogs online, there are many platforms available to new bloggers. Wix.com is one of the best available, with ready-made templates for musicians and bloggers. Here’s a list of some of the most versatile platforms for you to explore as you prepare to launch your new blog.

2 Choose a topic and write well

Music, as you well know, is a broad subject. There’s a ton to write about, whether it’s how to teach music, what it’s like to go on tour with a rock band, or how to write original music. If you really want to build a following, it’s a good idea to start your blog with a specific focus. What are your strengths? When you tell stories about your life as a musician or music-lover, which ones make your friends’ eyes light up? Tell those stories; make them your specialty, and readers will be dying to come back for more.

Developing great content is the key to blogging success. There’s a reason 53 percent of marketers make content their top priority, and it’s because it works. In addition to writing passionately about the subject you love most (the way you would when you really want someone to listen to your favorite band’s new record), you’ll also want to ensure you’re employing the right blogging practices and strategies. For example, you’ll want to keep blog posts to approximately 300-500 words, use SEO best practice, and follow these guidelines recommended by HubSpot.

3 Use social media to your advantage

Once you’ve started blogging, posting 2-3 times a week and getting some readers, it’s time to focus on becoming even more popular. One of the best ways to do this is by connecting your blog to your social media accounts, advertising your site on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This way, your blog will exist dynamically online, making it easier for you to gain more of a following. By using this guide to determine your ideal audience persona, you can determine where your ideal readers spend their time online and appeal to their preferences.

Once you’ve mastered posting regularly across all your platforms, you’ll want to focus on best practices to optimize your posts for each. For example, did you know that tweets with hashtags get twice as much as engagement than those that don’t? If you make sure to engage with your readers — for example, replying to their comments on your most recent Instagram post — they’ll be more likely to come back for more. There are lots of ways to get your readership engaged on social media and optimize your posts for each unique platform, so check out this free beginner’s guide from Moz.com to start driving more traffic to your page.

As you can see, there are some great strategies out there for making sure you create a strong music blog and get readers who’ll click your link immediately every time you post a new piece. Whether you’re writing about how to get your song on Spotify and Apple music or providing tips on how to get that very first paid gig, you’ll get the word out faster and to more people using these strategies. So rock on, and write on!

Why do you want to start a music blog? What do you think your focus will be?